VIDEO: Will County Candidates Say Why They Should Be Elected

Featuring Candidates for Will County elected offices, the Will County Board, state representative and U.S. Congress. Not all candidates participated in the forum.

According to Debbie Hypke, executive director of the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce, offered a video program as a forum for candidates running for office could speak openly about their respective campaigns.  In Video No. 1: In Video No. 2: In Video No. 3:   In Video No. 4: In Video No. 5: In Video No. 6: In Video No. 7: Watch the pre-recorded videos prepared by New Lenox Community TV.  The videos will also be aired repeatedly on Channel 6 through the Nov. 6 election. Candidates will appear in order as they are listed on the election ballot.  To accommodate voters without access to Channel 6, the videos will be uploaded to YouTube. Loo for news, updates and events, subscribe free to: For a different take on the news like us on:

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Locals Only

Juicilicious Smoothies Offer Mokena a Taste of Summer

Mokena's new smoothie bar serves up real fruit in its products and provides a cozy hangout with free computers and WiFi.

As a business student at Arizona State University, Chan Le always had places to just hang out. He said that Mokena was missing that. Juicilicious, Le's smoothie bar, is his way of fixing it. "This is a place that people of any age can come and just hang out," Le explained. And people will want to. Inside the smoothie bar, located at 19070 Everett Blvd. in the Boulevard shopping center, four computers are set up on a corner desk, and customers can use these free of charge. Juicilicious also provides free WiFi to anyone wanting to relax on the couches or at one of the tables to get some work done. To celebrate the grand opening on April 15, representatives from the Mokena Chamber of Commerce and Mokena Village Hall attended a ribbon-cutting …

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Mokena Businesses Get Web-Savvy

More local businesses are reaching out to patrons via Facebook, Twitter and smartphone.

After revealing last week that the Village of Mokena's Facebook page wasn't authorized and isn't run by the Village, Mokena Patch took a deeper dive into the web-savvy techniques of Mokena businesses. Are these technological means of communications worth it? Mary Beth Windberg thinks so. She is in charge of the Mokena Community Park District Facebook page, which she created as a way to reach out to more people. “It’s a great tool for blurbs and headlines about upcoming events,” Windberg said. “We get more feedback from Facebook than we do from our website.” Windberg said she also uses Facebook as a means to reach out to the younger demographic of the park district’s Facebook followers. More than 100 people "Like" the park district's page, …

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Q&A: Incoming Mokena Chamber of Commerce President Lee Kaz

The 14-year resident of Mokena, who will be sworn in at the chamber's inaugural on Jan. 28, shares some thoughts on what's ahead for 2011.

When Lee J. Kaz is officially sworn in as president of the  Mokena Chamber of Commerce for 2011, he will unveil what he describes as a "broad-spectrum game plan" for the organization to promote and support local businesses. When Patch caught up with Kaz, he was decidedly tight-lipped about the initiatives (we'll all have to wait until Jan. 28, the date of the inaugural), but he did share his thoughts on improvements to the chamber (of which Mokena Patch is a member) and the business outlook for 2011. Kaz is a 14-year resident of Mokena, a financial advisor with Lionheart Financial and president of the Mokena Lions Club. Mokena Patch: How does your background prepare you to be the new Chamber president? Lee J. Kaz: I've always been very …

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Editor's Notebook

Check Us Out at Food and Wine Festival

Mokena Patch will have a booth at this year's Food and Wine Festival. Stop by, say hello, and find out more about us.

If you're headed to this year's Food and Wine Festival at Yunker Farm, be sure to stop by the Mokena Patch booth. Mokena Patch is an entertainment sponsor of this year's festival, and we'll be handing out totes and water bottles to attendees bringing non-perishable and cash donations for Frankfort Township Food Pantry. We'll also have our laptops with us to show you how you can use Mokena Patch to its fullest, from posting events and announcements to claiming business listings and submitting story ideas. We can't wait to meet you!

Local Businesses Picking Up Steam

Despite rough economic times, Mokena has seen growth in 2010.

It's no secret that vacant business lots abound in Mokena; a stroll down Front Street or a cruise along 191st reveals empty storefronts and abandoned shops. But business is growing here, and overall, 2010 has been a good year for Mokena, according to Economic Development Director Alan Zordan. Zordan said several pre-existing commercial buildings throughout the area were occupied this year, and the largely empty Boulevard on the corner of 191st Street and LaGrange Road has started to fill up. Midwest Eye Care and Marc Alan Salon are two tenants new to The Boulevard, and just this week the Village of Mokena Board of Trustees gave its final OK to allow developers to build an automotive-themed restaurant and bar in the center. Though Mokena …

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